Defence Minister Angie Motshekga says senior SANDF officers have to use the right channels to air their concerns.
Phill Magakoe/AFP
Defence Minister Angie Motshekga says military leaders can report safety concerns,resource constraints,or operational challenges,but they must follow the Military Discipline Code and use internal command channels. This,after SA Navy Chief Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese criticised the Cabinet for underfunding the South African National Defence Force,and accused them of acting unpatriotically and jeopardising national security.Motshekga emphasised that operational and logistical concerns senior officers raised should comply with statutory security processes to protect national security.
Defence Minister Angie Motshekga has clarified that military leaders can speak out against challenges in the SA National Defence Force,but says they must do so via internal command channels.
She pointed out that those internal channels should be used to report defence force safety concerns,equipment failures,or matters related to operational readiness,in line with the Military Discipline Code.
She was speaking after the chief of the South African Navy,Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese’s comments at the SA Navy’s gala concert last month,where he discussed his responsibility to oversee a “mission-ready and capable” force to patrol and keep South Africa’s territorial waters safe.
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Citing the navy’s growing inability to maintain sea patrols due to the lack of serviceable ships and submarines,he said: “I often find myself questioning whether those responsible for making significant decisions,particularly regarding the funding of our defence force,may be directly or indirectly influenced by these drug cartels,illegal traders,maritime criminals and human traffickers.
“Because it will appear that this consistent underfunding and incapacitation of the South African Navy and the defence force,in general,is to ensure the success of the operations that undermine our nation,compromise its sovereignty and jeopardise the future of our children.”
He added: “The unpatriotic,and what appears to be a sellout posture of defunding the SA Navy and the SANDF in general,leaves me with a question of whether the people behind what I would like to call nonsense,if they are not busy with a mission to privatise the SA Navy and the SANDF.”
Responding to a written parliamentary question from MKP MP Visven Reddy on Lobese’s comments,Motshekga said she did not chastise or reprimand Lobese for raising operational,logistical,or capacity challenges.
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However,she said senior SANDF officers were required,in terms of the Defence Act,2002,and the Military Discipline Code,to raise such matters through established internal command and reporting channels.
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“My communication on the matter served only to clarify this requirement and to ensure that sensitive operational information is handled responsibly,without compromising national security,defence readiness,or the integrity of ongoing processes within the Department of Defence,” she said.
According to Motshekga,the concerns Lobese raised had been formally captured within the SANDF’s command structures,and were receiving attention through “the appropriate governance and oversight mechanisms”.
She added:
I have not issued any directive,formal or informal,prohibiting the chief of the SA Navy or any senior SANDF official from reporting safety concerns,or matters related to operational readiness.
“The department continues to encourage accurate reporting of all operational risks. However,any disclosure of sensitive defence information must comply with constitutional obligations,the Defence Act,and security protocols governing classified or operational material.”
Furthermore,Motshekga said their position was simple: “Operational challenges must first be processed within the command structure to ensure accuracy,protect national security,and allow for coordinated institutional action. Public disclosure of operational challenges by senior military officers is not inherently inconsistent with the principles of transparency and accountability. However,such disclosure must occur within the framework of established statutory processes and security classifications to avoid compromising operational safety or exposing the defence force to unnecessary risks.”
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Motshekga added that in that instance,parliamentary oversight remained a constitutional imperative.
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“The department continues to provide the Portfolio Committee and Joint Standing Committee on Defence with full and accurate briefings on the state of the SANDF,including capability gaps,safety risks,and readiness concerns. These updates are provided through formal submissions,presentations,and appearances before the committees,where members have unrestricted opportunity to engage with senior officials,” she said.
However,members of the Portfolio Committee on Defence have constantly taken issue with Motshekga’s no-show before it to account for matters in her department.
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